Rotary engine.



E. G. GOULD.

ROTARY ENGINE. Y

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, IBM. 1,276,346. PatentedAug.2O,1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

INVEN TOR I a I I 7 Edward flfiauld, W g BDJW8ZIZHMM Amonumys E. G. GOULD ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1917. 1,276,3A. 1 Patented Aug.'20, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNE SES! INVENTOR Ed; 010. 1d, %.a% 5M W A'rro RNEYS EDWARD G. GOULD, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY am.

Application filed April 4, 1917. Serial No. 159,617.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. GOULD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rotary engine.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact, rotary engine of the internal combustior. type which is adapted to be placed directly on the hub ofa driving wheel, for instance, on an automobile, a motor bicycle or on any other revolving driving member. Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary engine adapted to operate on the four-cycle principle comprising a'cylinder mounted to revolve, a double-acting piston within the cylinder adapted to revolve with the cylinder and make two reciprocations during each revolution, and a rotating valve connected with the cylinder adapted to admit and exhaust gas from each end of the cylinder, in this manner permitting two explosions for each revolution of the cylinder. Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention also consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section through the engine.

Fig. 2 is a central cross-section of-same.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stationary shaft.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the shaft slightly turned to show the shape of the cam groove.

Fig. 5 is another view of the shaft showing the position of the sleeve with relation to the same. i

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the bearing bushings.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the piston keys and shoes.

' Referrin to the drawings in detail, A in dicates a s aft which, in this instance, is keyed or otherwise secured in a pair of stationary bearing members 2. The shaft provided is hollow and divided into two passages 3 and 4, the passage 4 being connected through a. pipe 5 with a carbureter of suitable construction, not here shown, while the passage 3 carries away the exhaust. Formed near each end of the shaft is an intake port 6 which communicates with the passage 4 and formed in alineinent with the intake ports 6 is a pair or exhaust ports 7 which communicate with the assa e 3.

The center portion 0 the s aft is enlarged in diameter, as shown at 8, to permit the formation of a cam groove 9 in its outer face. This cam groove is preferabl shaped as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and while it is continuous, it will be seen that it consists of four inclined sections, such as indicated at 10, 11, 12 and 13. This peculiar formation is of considerable importance and its function will hereinafter be described.

Turnably mounted upon the shaft intermediate the shoulders 14 formed by the central enlarged portion of the shaft and the stationary bearing members 2 is a pair of bearing bushings 15, one on each end of the shaft and positioned exterior of the shaft and said bushings 15 is a sleeve 16, which in turn carries a pair of cylinder ends 17 and a cylinder 18, the cylinder 18 being secured to the cylinder ends by means of screws 19, while the ends proper are secured in any suitable manner, or, as here shown, to the sleeve 16 by means of set screws 20.

Slidably mounted upon the sleeve within the cylinder between the ends 17 is a doubleacting piston 21 and forming a connection between the piston and the sleeve to prevent independent rotation of one with relation to the other is a pair of key plates 22. These key plates are positioned directly opposite each other and extend into slots or key-ways 23- formed in the sleeve. The slots are sufficiently long to permit the piston to move from one end of thecylinder to the other, said movement being imparted by the cam groove 9 through means of a pair of shoe members 24 secured one upon each key 22. The cylinder, together with the cylinder end 17, the sleeve 16, the piston 21 and the bearing bushings 15, will, during actual operation, rotate as a unit and a reciprocating movement will simultaneously be imparted to the piston bymeans of the cam groove 9 and the engaging shoes 24, rotation of the piston with .relationto the sleeve being prevented by the interposition of the keys 22 which are guided by the slots or key-ways 23.

Formed in each end of-the sleeve in alinement with the exhaust and inlet ports is a Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 2Q, 191$.

port 25, there being one at each end. These ports will, during the revolution of the cylinder and sleeve, move into and out of alinement with the exhaust and inlet ports and will therefore cover and uncover same at fixed periods during each revolution, thereby permitting charging of the cylinder, compressing of the charge, combustion and expansion of the charge and finally exhausting of same. This four-cycle operation takes place at each end of the cylinder as the cylinder proper is divided into two chambers 30 and 31 by the double-acting piston. lVith the piston assuming the position shown in Fig. l andif the cylinder is revolved, it can readily be seen that the shoes 24 engaging the cam groove will, while the cylinder rotates, move the piston from one end of the cylinder to the other.

The first movement of the piston in the direction of arrow a takes place while the port 25 in the sleeve is in register with the alined intake port 6. This register is maintained during .a quarter revolution of the cylinder and sleeve or while the piston travels from one end of the cylinder to the other. An explosive charge is in this manner admitted into chamber 30 which is compressed during the second quarter of the revolution by the return movement of the piston to the position shown.

A spark plug 32 secured in the cylinder end will here engage a stationary wiper contact 33 and a circuit will thus be formed through the plug which ignites the charge and drives the piston over to the opposite end of the cylinder. This reciprocal movement of the piston upon the sleeve imparts a rotary movement to the cylinder, thus giving it sufiicientmomentum to return the piston to its original position and expel the burnt charge of gas through the port 25 and the exhaust port 7 which will then be in register. The same cycle of operation takes place in both ends of the cylinder. It will therefore be seen that as the cam groove is double in action two reciprocations are imparted to the piston and two explosions per revolution are therefore obtained. The stationary contact 33 or wiper may be mounted on an adjustable ring, if desired, to permit advancing of the spark in the usual manner.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that a rotary engine exceedingly small in diameter and com act in structure is obtained and that a our-cycle operation is permitted during one revolution of the cylinder, thus permitting the complete admission, compression, explosionand scavenging of two separate charges during one revolution, something heretofore not ob tained during one rotation of a shaft or cylinder. The torque or driving force is in this manner practically constant and the aramie power obtained practically double when compared with the standard forms of fourcycle engines.

. The piston employed is preferably made in three sections, to-wit, a pair of side plates 40 and 41 and an intermediate ring 42, the plates and ring 42 being secured together by means of screws 43. The side plates not only secure the intermediate ring 42 but they also serve as clamps or supports for the slhank members 44 which carry the key plates 22 and the shoes 24. This construction is exceedingly simple and permits the piston to bequickly and readily taken apart at any time when repairing, cleaning or adjustments are required.

The engine is otherwise simple and compact in construction and its materials and finish may be such as experience and judgment of the manufacture may dictate.

While the engine is here shown as mounted in a pair of stationary bearing members 2, it is obvious that it may be mounted directly in the hub of an automobile wheel, a motor bicycle or any other revolving driving member desired. I therefore do not wish to limit myself to any specific application ormiounting.

Having thus particularly described my invention, what I claim and desire to sejcure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rotary engine comprising a stationary supporting shaft having a gas inlet and an exhaust passage formed therein, a sleeve turnably mounted on the shaft, a row cylinder secured on the sleeve, said sleeve having a pair of orts formed therein ad jacent each end of the cylinder and a pair of slots between the ports, a double-acting piston slidably mounted on the sleeve. a pair of key members secured on the piston extending one into each slot. a pair of exhaust and inlet orts formed in the stationary shaft in alinement with the sleeve ports communicating with the gas inlet and ex- 11a haust passage respectively, a cam groove formed in the outer face of the shaft, and a shoe secured on each key member extending into the cam groove adapted to impart a reciprocating movement to the piston.

2. A rotary engine comprising a stationary supporting shaft having a gas inlet and an exhaust passage formed therein, a sleeve turnably mounted on the shaft, a cylinder secured onthesleeve, said sleeve having a pair of ports formed therein adjacent each end of the cylinder and a pair of slots between the ports, a double-acting piston slidably mounted on the sleeve, a pair of key members secured on the piston extending one into each slot. a pair of exhaust and inlet ports formed in the stationary shaft in alinement with the sleeve ports communicating with the gas inlet and exhaust passages respectively, a cam groove formed in the 11.39

outer face of the shaft, and a shoe secured on each key member extending into the cam groove adapted to impart a reciprocating movement to the piston, said cam groove being continuous and having a formation which will impart two reciprocating movements to the piston during each revolution of the sleeve and cylinder.

3. A rotary engine comprising a stationary supporting shaft having a gas inlet and an exhaust passage formed therein, a sleeve turnably mounted on the shaft, a cylinder secured on the sleeve, said sleeve having a pair of ports formed therein adjacent each end of the cylinder and a pair of slots between the ports, a double-acting piston slidably mounted on the sleeve, a pair of' key members secured on the piston extending one into each slot, a pair of exhaust and inlet ports formed in the stationary shaft in alinement with the sleeve ports communieating with the gas inlet and exhaust passage respectively, a cam groove formed in the outer face of the shaft, a shoe secured on each key member extending into the cam groove adapted to impart a reciprocating movement to the piston, said cam groove being continuous and having a formation which will impart two reciprocating movements to the piston during each revolution of thesleeve and cylinder, a spark plug'secured in each end of the cylinder, and a stationary wiper engageable with each plug.

4. A rotary engine comprising a stationary shaft, an exhaust and an inlet passage formed 'in the said shaft, a sleeve member mounted to rotate about the shaft, said sleeve having a pair of ports formed therein adapted to register alternately with inlet and exhaust ports formed in the shaft which register with the exhaust and inlet passages, a cylinder adapted to rotate about the shaft, a piston within the cylinder slidably mounted on the sleeve and adapted to rotate in unison with the cylinder,

means for transmitting a positive and timed reciprocal movement to the piston witnesses.

during the rotation of the cylinder, the piston and the sleeveand means for rotating the ported sleeve member in unison with the cylinder and piston.

5. A rotary engine comprising a stationary shaft, an exhaust and an inlet passage formed in the said shaft, a sleeve member mounted to rotate about the shaft, said sleeve having a pair of ports formed therein adapted to register alternately with inlet and exhaust ports formed in the shaft which register with the exhaust and inlet passages, a cylinder adapted to rotate about the shaft, a piston within the. cylinder slidably mounted on the sleeve and adapted to rotate in unison with the cylinder, means for transmitting a positive and timed reciprocal movement to the piston during the rotation of the cylinder, the piston and the sleeve, means for rotating the ported sleeve member in unison with the cylinder and piston, said means comprising a longitudinally disposed slot formed in the sleeve and a shoe secured on the piston extending through the slot and engaging an annular cam groove formed in the stationary shaft.

6. A rotary engine comprising a stationary shaft, an exhaust and an inlet passage formed in the said shaft, a sleeve member mounted to rotate about the shaft, said sleeve having a pair of ports formed therein adapted to register alternately with inlet and exhaust ports formed in the shaft which register with the exhaust and inlet passages, a cylinder adapted to rotate about the shaft, a piston within the cylinder slidably mounted on the sleeve, and means for transmitting a positive and timed reciprocal movement to the piston during the rotation of the cylinder and the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing EDWARD G. GOULD.

Witnesses:

J. H. Hnmune, G. M. BALL. 

